The Wilmingtonian., 1887-07-30
SATURDAY, JULY 80, 1887.
Can We Beat the World?

cruisers Atlanta, Boston and Chicago are
servicoable war ships with their rate of only
10 (questionable) miles an hour. This is
less than one-half the rate of speed that the
English are getting from their large torpedo
boats.
There is nothing 50 piLiful as a scll-stulti-
flying fool, and as long as we continue blind
ing ourselves to facts in regard TO war ship
service as to what is actually being accom-
plished abroad we are putting ourselves in
that position.
Df course it is unfair to compare mon-of,
ships are supposed to be cruisers. A cruiser
is commonly understood TO be the fastest
description OF war vessels in a feet. What
can we say thcn when the heavy armored
liners of the British fleet are now expected
to accomplish not less than 90 miles.
The handsome new Hudson River boat
the New York, is credited with a record OF
2S miles an hour aud so is the Now and
Then. But the Etrura cxcclled that rate
all along the 3, 300 miles across the Atlantic,
and oulv last week the Umbria beat the
Etrura's recold II our best records, " hch
are river ones, cannot beat the rate of an
ocean steamer crossing the Atlantic, what
in sober argument stn we thiuk Of our
buildersp
Read carefully what the Sctenttfs Ameri.
can says on the subject:
The New York is tho name of new and
splendid passenger boat designed for ser
vice on the Hudson River. She is 31l f,ot
long; depth moulded, IL feet inches hull
of iron; tonnage, 1,5de; feathering paddle
wheels 30 feet diameter thrse boilers each
80 feet long, Of feet diameter, working pres
sure so h., furnish 1850 horse power. Her
average speed is expected to be % miles per
hour. On trial trip on the 18Th Of July,
she is reported to have exceeded this rate
The Now and Then is new steam yacht
built bS Herreshoff & Co., for Mr.. Norman
L. Munro, Of, New York. This boat Is s5
feec long, 10 feet beam, draught, feet, B
iuches. On the 12lh of July she ran from
Newport TO New York, 170 miles, in huurs
and minutes, being an average Of 2t miles
an hour This is claimed as the fastest
time for steam vessel, for any considerable
distance, on this side the Atlantic. The
parties Interested make considerable brap
over her erformanues
The speeds of both tho above vessels are
excellent, but they fall considerably short
CT the latest engineering Realised in Eng
land For example: The new passenger
steamer Queen Victoria, of the Manx lnc
plying between Liverpool and the Isle of
Man, 's $40 feet long, 50 feet beam, "a feet
depth, gross tonnage 1900 tons, engines
1000 horse power believed to be the fast
est mercl ant steamer atluat. She lately
steamed from Greenock to Liverpool, about
24O miles, in hours 90 minutes her aver.
age speed being 81. GO miles per hour.
The Prince of Wales, Fnother boat of same
build and dimensions, is expected to have
the same speed. The Cunard stcamor
EtEura, plying between New York and
Liverpool, sometimes steams b57 milrs in oi
hours, being an average of ovor 23 miles ncr
hour. j. X G. Thompson, Of Clyd,bapk
are now building two now steamers which
are to surpass the Etruria in speed.
The Italian iron clad Dogali, aG7 feet
iengIh, ~ feet beam, mean draught IA feet
inches has a specd Of 90 miles an bonr
The new German war steamer Greif ann
make 254 miles per hour. Tho Thornyeror,
torpedo boat lately built at Chiswick for
the Spanish government il l47 feet q iucbos
long IA feet inches beam, and draws 4
ieet inches water. On recent trial trip
tide III her favor, She attained speed ot m
mills an hour with the tide, and a mean
= - - y" 'i''No I'l HOuT, WIN and against
tide.
torpedo boat lately built by Yarlow 4,
Co., L'r the Chinese government, is las ,eot
long, mean speed 81 miles per hour. The
same builders have delivered to the R,i+isI,
goVernmSEt boats of the Fake typo that
average 26i miles per hour, l35 feet long. IA
feet beam, boilers, 1850 h. p.
Torpedo boat number 10, same buildrrs
reached mean speed Of 26I mile, ncr
hour; l25 feet long, 10 feet beam Eugiros
1000 h. p
Inc twin screw torpedo boat Gently
built at Poplar, by Yauuw Il Co., for ,bo
Italian government, attained mean s,ooa
loaded Of 2s miles per hour. Length lao
feet beam "a feet, draught feet inches
displacement 100 tons. Engines l., 400 h. u
IL is doubtful if there are any CORES sond.
ing vessels in our waters that can eaual tho
foregoing ii point sf speed, nor is there anv
present evidence Of our ability to const,nc,
shen. We are building new war ships b,t
bef"re they are finished they will be ont of
datc in respect to speed. Not one of tbs